Heartache after callous thief ransacks cafe

Kate Mason

The owners of a popular Doncaster Town Centre cafe have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a callous thief ransacked their premises.

Annie and Mark Oakley owners of Torr’s turned up to work yesterday morning to discover there had been a break in at their Printing Office premises.

Some of the damage in Torr's cafe following a break-in

The pair said thousands of pounds worth of damage had been caused and they were forced remain closed all day as a result of the break-in.

Mr Oakley said: “We were in total shock when we saw the damage that had been caused the actual cost of the items taken is negligible compared to the damage that has been caused which will be thousands of pounds

“It’s totally mindless.”

As well as stealing the tips money the thief chiselled out plaster around doors and smashed holes in the walls in the basement of the building.

Mrs Oakley said more needs to be done to cut down on crime in the town centre.

She added: “I don’t know what’s happening to Doncaster at the minute it seems to be going down hill.

“It seems that CCTV is no longer a deterrent we need more police officers in the town centre. “We pay our business rates and rents yet we are just left to our own devices with no support.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Sometime between 12.45-1am on Wednesday 24 August it is reported that Torrs English Deli, Printing Office Street, was broken into.

“Offenders unknown are believed to have gained entry via a first floor window and are said to have taken a quantity of cash from the building.”

Enquiries into this incident remain ongoing and anyone with information should call 101 and quote incident number 180 of August 24